Yaron Matras is Professor of Linguistics at the University of Manchester, and Editor of the journal Romani Studies. His involvement with Romani issues began in the advocacy and civil rights arena. Matras was media relations officer to the Roma National Congress from 1988 -1995, and founding editor of RomNews, one of the very first advocacy information services on Romani issues. He has worked closely with the Open Society Institute's Roma programmes, is a founding member of the European Academic Network on Romani Studies, and has led several large-scale research projects on Romani language and culture, including an international research consortium on Romani migrations. He is the author of over a dozen books and numerous chapters and articles on Romani language and culture, and speaks the Romani language fluently.
Compassionate and knowledgeable ... Yaron Matras is an authority on
gypsies * London Evening Standard *
a historical and linguistic survey of the Roma ... at its best ...
it homes in on the possibility that the Roma problem has nothing to
do with the Roma, but with the "paradigmatic dilemma" they raise *
Guardian *
As the title of his book suggests, the Roma are lucky in their
strong family values, their international outlook and their strong
survival instinct. But as Matras also makes clear, those of us who
have met and made friends among the Roma people are also lucky *
Telegraph *
Yaron Matras skilfully debunks the numerous myths surrounding
Romani life, and reveals the history and diversity of this culture
across the world. The portraits of Romani people are sparky and
thought-provoking ... required reading for anyone who presumes to
have views on Romani Gypsies * Financial Times *
Romani history is unseen and unrecognised. Matras synthesises what
facts we have to create a visible, compelling record * Independent
*
When students, journalists and policy-makers approach me enquiring
about a definitive book on 'The Roma' I will always tell them it
does not exist. Instead, I suggest they visit their local library
and read widely and then speak with the Roma, Gypsies and
Travellers that will doubtless be staying in their own towns and
cities. After making this important point regarding direct contact,
I will then point them to the likes of Angus Fraser's book, The
Gypsies. Now, however, I will direct such interested parties to
Yaron Matras's exceptional new book I Met Lucky People: The Story
of the Romani Gypsies. Written in a direct, accessible and informed
manner, this text should be seen as the literary starting point for
all serious enquiries regarding Europe's largest minority
population, the Roma. For a linguist, Matras is no slouch as a
critical social scientist and the commitment, passion and intellect
on the pages of this book will hopefully inspire readers to see
'The Roma', in all their diverse groupings and communities, in a
new, informed light. I recommend this text without reservation *
Colin Clark, Professor of Sociology and Social Policy University of
the West of Scotland *
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